There is little to be found in the way of pick-me-ups during these dark days, but if there’s one beauty staple that reliably turns this writer’s frown upside down, it’s red lipstick. So imagine how wide I’m grinning at the news that my favorite makeup maven, Pat McGrath has teamed up with legendary streetwear brand Supreme on an upcoming collection that will be, as she told Vogue: “An iconic red, embodied in the ultimate matte lipstick.”
At the risk of sounding risqué (which has never stopped me before): Put it on my mouth. Now.
Granted, I was never much of a Supreme stan (no shade—though I already want this shade), but I was a decades-long resident of New York City, which means I know all too well what McGrath means when she says:“New York is synonymous with Supreme—when you hear the name, you automatically envision their signature white-on-red palette.”
The collaboration will be the label’s first beauty collaboration—and where can they possibly go from here? While in Supreme fashion the drop date has yet to be announced, McGrath teased the upcoming “Supreme” shade of her much-beloved MatteTrance formula for Vogue, which reported: “The cool blue-red is housed in McGrath’s now-iconic gold bullet emblazoned with a set of gold lips, and punctuated by Supreme’s red-box-and-white-lettering logo.”
Yeah...I’d stand in line for this—and you can sign up for updates at Pat McGrath Labs. But if you’re in the mood for a little instant gratification (as I always am), Fenty Beauty’s got some new shades on their roster, too. Honestly, I’ve been so wrapped up in the release of Fenty Skin, I almost forgot about all the pretty face paints Rihanna makes to go on top. In fact, since her Stunna Lip Paint in “Uncensored” might soon be unseated as my favorite red lip color (though still in my top 5), the arrival of a ripe-for-fall burgundy called “Underdawg” is perfectly timed—this may the wine I’ve been craving since becoming sober-curious.
But of course, with face masks being our accessory of choice for the foreseeable future (and actually feeling more wearable in fall weather), it’s going to be all about the eyes, and Rih’s got us covered, there, too, dropping a series of autumnal-hued mascaras that have me feeling like Fenty betta have my money so I can get my hands on these—in addition to her 20 shades of Flypencil, ProKiss’r balms and Snapshadows.
But if we’re talking shadows, it’s another Black-owned brand that has my heart this Big Beauty Tuesday: as an avowed eyeshadow aficionado (no, seriously; it’s in my bio), I pride myself on my extensive collection of pigments—and I have a new fave. After months of stalking the long-awaited restock of the cult-favorite Oceanic Palette at Ace Beauté (for the record, it’s pronounced “Ace boo-té”—which is coincidentally also how we pronounce “Big Beauty Tuesdays” at The Root), I found myself going for broke as I just had to have the Flair Palette and new Nostalgia Palette, as well. (Don’t judge me, I’m a beauty editor—speaking of which, can I write this off?)
At $38.99 each ($69 for an Oceanic/Nostalgia bundle), these will neither be the cheapest nor priciest pigments in your beauty arsenal—but bay-bee...do these pigments pay off—and the color collections are gorgeous! I’m currently plotting to purchase them all; thankfully, they’re as beautiful on the outside as they are on my eyes, so my beauty drawer will likely soon look like this.
But we all know it’s what’s underneath that counts—which is why I’ve got my eye on Exa, a new makeup line that recently launched with the 43-shade range “High Fidelity Foundation” ($38); proving the Fenty Effect is now an industry standard. Exa is the in-house brand of Credo Beauty, which, while not Black-owned, prioritizes clean beauty and high-quality product lines, including partnering with Venus Williams on the launch of her EleVen sunscreen line back in May. I’ve yet to try Exa, but it’s already got O Magazine’s vote for best foundation of 2020, so it’s only a matter of time—I’ll report back when I do.
Do you want more? Well, Big Beauty Tuesday will take a break next week (plus I’ve got some shopping to do!), but I’ll be back with more products, tips and a special guest on September 1. Until then, enjoy the inaugural Root Institute each Tuesday and Thursday through August. We have some amazing conversations still in store—including some hosted by yours truly!
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